[MyAppleMenu] May 23, 2012

[applesurf at myapplemenu.com]

MyAppleMenu
====================================
**** Core iOS Apps Being Replaced, One At A Time ****
<http://bijansabet.com/post/23605148243/core-ios-apps-being-replaced-one-at-a-time>
Bijan Sabet


> The next step I’d like to see as iOS matures is a way for the ecosystem to get more access.



**** What Happens When Toddlers Zone Out With An iPad ****
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304363104577391813961853988.html>
Ben Worthen, Wall Street Journal


> Kids for years have sat too close to the television for too long or played hours of Madden on family room game players. But pediatric neuroscientists and researchers who have studied the effects of screen-time on children suggest the iPad is a different beast.

> A well-designed iPad app is more engaging because often the place on the screen that a child touches is the same as where the action happens. Many researchers hope this will help children learn.



**** Why Apple Needs To Settle Its E-book Suits ****
<http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57439543-93/why-apple-needs-to-settle-its-e-book-suits/>
Greg Sandoval, CNET


> This is likely a fight for Apple not worth having. In the complaints, Apple’s partnerships with the publishers look in every way anticompetitive and anticonsumer. The case could drag on in the court for years, and even if Apple prevails, the e-book market will undoubtedly have evolved so that any Apple victory is likely to be moot.

> What Apple did with its so-called Aikido move was flip consumers to the mat. If Amazon posed a threat to book retailing, or if the company’s pricing strategy was predatory, then someone should have gone to the courts or authorities. A few people carving up a burgeoning industry among themselves in a backroom deal wasn’t the answer. It wasn’t fair to consumers.



**** Jonathan Ive: Simplicity Isn't Simple ****
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/9283706/Jonathan-Ive-simplicity-isnt-simple.html>
Shane Richmond, The Telegraph


> "And then you start to draw to try to describe and develop this fragile idea. Then a remarkable thing happens at the time you make the first object, the time that you actually give form and dimension to the idea. In the whole process, that's the one point where the transition is the most dramatic and suddenly you can involve multiple people. It brings focus and it can galvanise a group of people, which is enormously powerful."



**** IBM Outlaws Siri, Worried She Has Loose Lips ****
<http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/05/ibm-bans-siri/>
Robert McMillan, Wired


> If you work for IBM, you can bring your iPhone to work, but forget about using the phone’s voice-activated digital assistant. Siri isn’t welcome on Big Blue’s networks.

> The reason? Siri ships everything you say to her to a big data center in Maiden, North Carolina. And the story of what really happens to all of your Siri-launched searches, e-mail messages and inappropriate jokes is a bit of a black box.



**** Jonathan Ive Interview: Apple's Design Genius Is British To The Core ****
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/9283486/Jonathan-Ive-interview-Apples-design-genius-is-British-to-the-core.html>
Shane Richmond, The Telegraph


> “We’re keenly aware that when we develop and make something and bring it to market that it really does speak to a set of values. And what preoccupies us is that sense of care, and what our products will not speak to is a schedule, what our products will not speak to is trying to respond to some corporate or competitive agenda. We’re very genuinely designing the best products that we can for people.”



**** AppleScript And FastScripts To The Rescue ****
<http://inessential.com/2012/05/22/applescript_and_fastscripts_to_the_rescu>
Brent Simmons, Inessential


> I wrote about a thing that bugged me — and Daniel Jalkut wrote an AppleScript that solved the problem for me.



**** Without Apple, ‘Supply Chain’ Shrinking, Says Analyst ****
<http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-57438846-92/without-apple-supply-chain-shrinking-says-analyst/?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=>
Brooke Crothers, CNET


> Apple is so important to the group of companies that build tech-related electronics products that without Apple there would be negative growth, according to Citibank.

But, if there is no Apple, won't Dell sell more laptops?


**** Sudo Broken, Sudo Fixed ****
<http://www.zdnet.com/blog/open-source/sudo-broken-sudo-fixed/11036>
Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols, ZDNet


> Recently a fundamental security bug in sudo was discovered, In some network this security hole could allow a cracker unlimited control of Linux, Mac OS X, and Unix systems. Fortunately, the bug has now been fixed.



**** Drafts 1.2 Saves Quick Notes To Evernote, Facebook ****
<http://www.macstories.net/news/drafts-1-2-saves-quick-notes-to-evernote-facebook/>
MacStories



**** Keyboard Maestro 5.3 ****
<http://www.macstories.net/links/keyboard-maestro-5-3/>
MacStories


> With today’s 5.3 update, Keyboard Maestro gets even more powerful, and adds support for one specific area that is going to dramatically speed-up my workflow once again: image manipulation.



**** OneVoice Is An Impressive Assistive Communication App For iPad And iPhone ****
<http://www.tuaw.com/2012/05/22/onevoice-is-an-impressive-assistive-communication-app-for-ipad-a/>
Kelly Hodgkins, TUAW


> Designed for non-verbal adults and children, the app has over 100 large, clear icons with recognizable images from your everyday environment. People can click on the icons to build sentences and then hit the speak button to speak. There's also a group of emoticons so people can communicate how they feel. It has a simple, logical UI that makes it easy for people to share their thoughts with others.



**** Hiding The Last App ****
<http://inessential.com/2012/05/22/hiding_the_last_app>
Brent Simmons, Inessential


> It hasn’t worked this way for ten years or so. But I still hit cmd-H many times a day expecting to end up in the Finder. Instead nothing happens.

I have the exact same problem.


**** Let’s Sing ****
<http://www.macstories.net/reviews/lets-sing/>
Federico Viticci, MacStories


> Let’s Sing combines my love for music (and guessing songs) with a streamlined way of embarrassing myself (in a good way) to people that wouldn’t otherwise hear me “na na na na-ing” the latest Nicki Minaj. It’s about your voice, your friends, and it’s fun.



**** New Paris Apple Store To Open On Friday ****
<http://www.tuaw.com/2012/05/22/new-paris-apple-store-to-open-on-friday/>
Michael Grothaus, TUAW






The Tomorrow Weblog
====================================
**** A Hard Drive For High Security ****
<http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/22/a-hard-drive-for-high-security/?smid=tw-nytimestech&seid=auto>
John Biggs, New York Times



**** Can PageRank-like Approach Aid Fight Against Cancer? ****
<http://arstechnica.com/science/2012/05/can-pagerank-like-approach-aid-fight-against-cancer/>
John Timmer, Ars Technica



**** Recipes And Lists At Your Fingertips ****
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/23/dining/recipes-and-lists-at-your-fingertips.html?_r=1&gwh=13EAA30F4C90A3679D3E9AF6B2893D25>
Jo Craven McGinty, New York Times


> My husband has taken to calling my method “just-in-time inventory,” referring to a business strategy that increases profits, but introduces risk, by keeping inventory lean. (I don’t think he means it as a compliment.) In this case, profit is reaped by avoiding waste and overspending. The risk is being unable to provide an impromptu snack or spontaneously invite friends to dinner.






MyAppleMenu Reader
====================================
**** Railsea By China Miéville – Review ****
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/may/23/railsea-china-mieville-review>
Tony Bradman, The Guardian


> What kind of novel might someone produce if he had been influenced by writers such as Joan Aiken, the Awdrys, Daniel Defoe, Ursula Le Guin, Herman Melville, Robert Louis Stevenson, the Strugatsky Brothers and Spike Milligan? The answer is <i>Railsea</i>, China Miéville's latest book, a wildly inventive crossover/young adult fantasy with elements of SF and trains, lots of trains, all done with the kind of brio of which most writers can only dream.



**** What Do Spoilers Spoil? ****
<http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/21/what-do-spoilers-spoil/>
Stanley Fish, New York Times


> In either case, the spoiler doesn’t amount to much and alerting readers to it is not a high obligation. If “The Hunger Games” is so shallow that it can be spoiled by a plot revelation, the alert doesn’t save much. If “The Hunger Games” is a serious accomplishment, no plot revelation can spoil it.



**** New Word Order ****
<http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/6d77169a-9f83-11e1-8b84-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1veLmG4Cg>
Sam Taylor, Financial Times


> I am now a full-time translator. Not only literary translation but the more banal, short-deadline work given out by agencies: everything from technical manuals to corporate catalogues to art gallery audio guides. The work can be dull and stressful but it is rarely unpleasant: you can do it in bed, for a start, and it often has the same sort of compulsive fascination as a crossword puzzle. And, unlike writing novels, you get paid every month. Literary translation is, however, by far the most fascinating and prestigious form of translation.



**** Follow A Hungry Chef And See Where It Takes You ****
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/23/dining/where-chefs-head-in-their-downtime.html?_r=1&gwh=ED0BA2CE2CFBE1CD10E5674E63F86313>
Glenn Collins, New York Times


> At their stoves, New York’s starred chefs are very different from you and me. But when they’re ready to inhabit downtime mode, they favor the casual and even the simple. Frequently they return to the same couple of places and order the same thing — again and again.






SingaporeSurf
====================================
**** SMRT Maintenance VP Takes Stand At COI ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1203132/1/.html>
Olivia Song, Channel NewsAsia


> Vibrations were not considered the cause of dislodged rail claws prior to the December 15 train disruption. This was revealed by SMRT's vice president of maintenance, Ng Tek Poo, who took the stand at the Committee of Inquiry hearing on Wednesday.



**** No Campaigning On Cooling-off Day: Elections Dept ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1203147/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> Hougang voters will go to the polls on Saturday, May 26. The Elections Department has reminded the public that Friday is Cooling-off Day, when campaigning is disallowed and election advertising must not be published or displayed.



**** Singapore Inflation Accelerates ****
<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304707604577421520969453072.html?mod=googlenews_wsj>
Gaurav Raghuvanshi, Wall Street Journal



**** Singapore Airlines Shifts Toward Low Cost Integration ****
<http://blogs.crikey.com.au/planetalking/2012/05/23/singapore-airlines-shifts-toward-low-cost-integration/>
Ben Sandilands, Crikey


> This is a significant change in rhetoric from Singapore Airlines and its associate or owned low cost brands, compared to an original move to quarantine the low cost and full service options from each other in the market place.



**** Hougang By-election – An Alternative Perspective Of The Second WP Rally ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/05/hougang-by-election-an-alternative-perspective-of-the-second-wp-rally/>
Texas Hong, The Online Citizen


> After 46 years of nation building and National Service, many Singaporeans still do not feel at home today. This is caused chiefly by divisions amongst locals and foreigners, income inequality in our society, and in this context – discrimination against opposition held wards.



**** Give Low-wage Workers Built-in Pay Rise Of At Least $50: NWC ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1203113/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> The National Wages Council (NWC) has recommended that companies grant low-wage workers a built-in wage increase in the form of a dollar quantum and a percentage wage increase for 2012/13.



**** Government Accepts National Wages Council's Recommendations For 2012/2013 ****
<http://www.mom.gov.sg/newsroom/Pages/PressReleasesDetail.aspx?listid=429>
Ministry Of Manpower, SIngapore Government



**** Poor Png, Poor WP, You Will Lose… ****
<http://singaporegirl.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/poor-png-poor-wp-you-will-lose/>
Food Fuels Me To Talk



**** Pay Review For Bus Drivers Was To Help SMRT "Stay Competitive" ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1203106/1/.html>
Hetty Musfirah, Channel NewsAsia


> "We try to take a holistic view and come up with a programme that can address the real need for them, for salaries to be upgraded and at the same time, for us to be able to retain and to attract people to come and join us. That is the kind of approach we have taken in this whole review."



**** Empowering Competency: Staying With WP Despite Heavy Rain ****
<http://pijitailai.blogspot.com/2012/05/empowering-competency-staying-with-wp.html>
Piji Tailai


> It is always not easy to be in an opposition ward, not to mention the opposition MPs. It is a recognized fact that opposition candidates and politicians need to put in more sacrifices to be in politics. Residents in the opposition wards too have to scarify in the forms of fewer subsidies, less priority on upgrading, less convenience, etc.     

>  However, losing PAP candidates have their career path planned for them but opposition candidates will have to face the challenges of job, career, and business risks.   They have to put in extra efforts to keep up their spirit against the PAP.  

> Hougang voters know too well about these sacrifices and they are willing to play their parts to support this spirit of enterprise, democracy and competency.



**** Chan Chun Sing, Why You Cheat My Fewlings? ****
<http://www.lianainfilms.com/2012/05/chan-chun-sing-why-you-cheat-my-fewlings/>
Lianain Films


> Do children born out of wedlock not contribute to our total population? Will they not grow up to become members of our society? Are illegitimate male children not called up for National Service? Are the products of such sinful unions not expected to pay taxes when they join the workforce? Is there like a special method of computing population such that you pretend they do not exist?

> Are you suggesting that society not accept them?



**** Is IRAS Too Much? ****
<http://gintai.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/is-iras-too-much/>
Gintai_昇泰



**** Png Eng Huat's Integrity Still In Question: DPM Teo ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1203096/1/.html>
Channel NewsAsia


> Commenting on these revelations, Mr Teo said Mr Low had thus confirmed that Mr Png had not been telling the truth, and had indeed been rejected by the WP CEC as an NCMP.



**** Gutter Politics And Biased Reporting By Straits Times ****
<http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=7619>
Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net


> We might as well ask the PAP to account for why, if it felt Mr Desmond Choo was such a good candidate, was he not roped into a GRC team and allowed to enter Parliament by riding the coat-tails of a cabinet minister.



**** They Never Learn ****
<http://javertworld.blogspot.com/2012/05/they-never-learn.html>
Javert's World



**** SMRT To Enhance Staff Capability As Part Of Company "Re-engineering" ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1203062/1/.html>
Hetty Musfirah, Channel NewsAsia


> SMRT interim CEO Tan Ek Kia said the company was "re-engineering itself" and would place more emphasis on replacing and renewing assets, rather than just repairing and maintaining them.

> "As you evolve the systems, the organisation's capabilities, the people's capabilities also have to change and adapt with it," Mr Tan said. "We will be introducing more capability enhancement and training to (help our people) keep up with change."



**** What Makes PAP A Party Fair Minded People Love To Hate? ****
<http://feedmetothefish.blogspot.com/2012/05/what-makes-pap-party-fair-minded-people.html>
Feed Me To The Fish


> It is pathetic that PAP needs to stoop so low to nitpick, to make a mountain out of a mole hill of Png Eng Huat's declaration that he did not wish to be a NCMP. Not unlike the stupidity of asking WP to 'come clean' when WP has already sacked Yaw Shin Leong, PAP leaders are at a loss in fighting for Hougang. They just can't rise to the challenges put forth by WP and are making themselves look silly. Very silly!



**** Singapore Inflation Quickens To 4-Month High ****
<http://finance.yahoo.com/news/singapore-inflation-quickens-4-month-050205638.html>
Associated Press


> Singapore says its inflation rate rose to a fourth-month high in April as housing and transport costs soared.



**** Nationality Of Driver Does Matter ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120523-0000069/Nationality-of-driver-does-matter>
Lum Yin Peng, Today


> In Singapore, our driving records are kept transparent, and demerit points are instituted. This may not be so for foreign drivers whose records reside overseas.

> More stringent policies could be similarly put in place to screen foreigners who wish to drive on our roads.



**** Hougang By-election Campaign Shows PAP On Auto-pilot ****
<http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/hougang-by-election-campaign-shows-pap-on-auto-pilot/>
Alex Au, Yawning Bread


> While it looks as if the Workers’ Party has a significant buffer against vote erosion, I’d say it has no reason to be complacent.



**** Another Election, Another Round Of Allegations. ****
<http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2012/05/another-election-another-round-of.html>
Diary Of A Singaporean Mind


> That the PAP and the mainstream media go all out to damage the reputations of those in opposition running against them is nothing new.



**** Hougang By-election: WP's Gerald Giam At WP Rally ****
<http://www.mrbrown.com/blog/2012/05/hougang-by-election-wps-gerald-giam-at-wp-rally-.html>
Lee Kin Mun, mrbrown


> Regardless of the space we choose to voice our concerns, to exercise our citizenship, remember that we are the hands that open the doors to send you to Parliament, and we are also the hands that can yank you lot out.

> Disregard the voice and the will of the people at your own peril.



**** Regaining Confidence In SMRT Will Take Time: Minister Lui ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120523-0000095/Regaining-confidence-in-SMRT-will-take-time--Minister-Lui>
Today


> Speaking to reporters after the visit, Mr Lui said that the proposed changes will take time to bear fruit and he is satisfied by the steps SMRT is taking. 

> He applauded SMRT's stance on renewal and replacement of assets instead of simply repairing them.



**** Roystan Tan On Last Night Hougang Rally ****
<http://blogging4myself.blogspot.com/2012/05/roystan-tan-on-last-night-hougang-rally.html>
Blogging For Myself



**** SG’s Inflation Profile Among The Worst In Southeast Asia ****
<http://sbr.com.sg/economy/news/sg’s-inflation-profile-among-worst-in-southeast-asia>
Singapore Business Review


> In a statement, DBS Research said inflation risk is still the biggest concern for Singapore, which currently has the worst inflation profile in the Southeast Asian region apart from Vietnam.

> “Even though Singaporeans who are not buying cars will not directly feel the pinch of higher COE premiums, companies will surely pass on the higher costs of commercial vehicles to consumers. Plainly, higher COE premium will remain a key driver of inflation in Singapore in the coming quarters,” DMG Research said.

We should be throwing a lot more money into public transportation right now so as to reduce demand for private vehicles.


**** By-Election Rally: Workers’ Party May 22 – Call For Greater Respect Of The Elderly ****
<http://rogerpoh.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/by-election-rally-workers-party-may-22-call-for-greater-respect-of-the-elderly/>
SpotlightOnSingapore



**** Traffic Cops: Pulling The Rabbit Out Of The Hat ****
<http://unbrandedbreadnbutter.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/traffic-cops-pulling-the-rabbit-out-of-the-hat/>
Unbranded Bread N Butter


> Looking at their website, the latest annual statistics there are dated 2010. We are in May 2012 and they don’t even have the 2011 annual statistics ready on their website. Yet, when Ma Chi crashed his car, they can pull out the statistics for 1st Q 2012 almost immediately!! 



**** Singapore Vies To Become Commodities Hub ****
<http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/ebd55e6c-a40a-11e1-84b1-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1veLmG4Cg>
Jeremy Grant and Javier Blas, Financial Times


> Lured by the shift of global commodities demand from Asia, traders are resettling in Singapore’s central business district. But, in large part, traders say the city is also benefiting from tax and regulatory arbitrage. It is a powerful draw for companies looking for “light touch” oversight.



**** Singapore, Hong Kong Unite Against 'Locusts'  ****
<http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/NE23Ad01.html>
Augustine Tan, Asia Times


> Xenophobia is riding high in Singapore, targeting mainland Chinese. And Hong Kong Internet users, fresh from their own "anti-locust [mainland Chinese]" campaign, are giving a big helping hand. 



**** Singapore Dep PM:May Tighten Employment Rules To Manage Foreign Workforce ****
<http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20120522-707703.html>
Gaurav Raghuvanshi, Dow Jones


> Singapore may further tighten standards for issuing employment passes in order to manage growth of the foreign workforce and ensure locals have good career prospects, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the country's deputy prime minister and finance minister, said Tuesday.



**** MRT Breakdowns: Compensate Commuters, Not LTA ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_801769.html>
Isaac Tan, Straits Times


> It is also important for the LTA to reveal how the money collected is used. If the LTA puts it into a central kitty meant for roadworks as well, one wonders how that will improve MRT operations.

Basically, we don't trust the government is going to put the money collected as fines to good use?


**** MRT Breakdowns: Compensate Commuters, Not LTA ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_801769.html>
Isaac Tan, Straits Times



**** Elections Dept Should Bar Frivolous Candidates ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_801770.html>
Jeffrey Law, Straits Times


> Being disqualified as an electoral candidate for frivolous reasons is not a laughing matter as it reflects poorly on the person who is supposed to serve the residents in the ward. In short, he has no business standing for election, let alone being an MP.

This idiot seems to imply we should have a bunch of people who just happens to have a job in a particular government department to decide who we can and cannot vote for?
(I say "seems to" because I really don't understand what the heck he is saying here.)


**** Time To Move On, Hougang ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_801779.html>
Chua Boon Chiew, Straits Times


> I live in Hougang and, from my view, nothing much has changed. Residents should not expect new and better facilities for the next five years if the WP wins. Simply put, the WP has no ways or means to improve Hougang.

If one can only get public services by paying taxes <i>and</i> voting in the ruling party, Singapore will be destroyed.


**** Temasek Says Markets Entering Period Of Stress In Next 2 Years ****
<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-22/temasek-says-markets-entering-period-of-stress-in-next-2-years.html>
Weiyi Lim, Bloomberg


> Temasek Holdings Pte, Singapore’s state-owned investment company, said it expects the markets to enter a “period of stress” for the next one to two years amid the European debt crisis, adding risks to investments.



**** å¼ å¿—è´¤ï¼šç½‘ç»œè°£è¨€è®©äººéš¾è¿‡å¤±æœ› ****
<http://www.zaobao.com.sg/sp/sp120523_019.shtml>
何惜薇, 联合早报


> â€œæœ‰äº›å£°ç§°æ˜¯å·¥äººå…šæ”¯æŒè€…çš„äººï¼ŒæŠŠä»–ä»¬çš„ç¥–æ¯æ‹‰ä¸‹æ°´ï¼Œæé€ äº†ç§ç§æŒ‡æŽ§â€¦â€¦æ¥æŒ‘èµ·é€‰æ°‘çš„æ€’æ°”å’Œæƒ…ç»ªï¼Œä»Žè€Œäº‰å–æ›´å¤šé€‰ç¥¨ã€‚æˆ‘å¯¹é‚£ç§åšæ³•æ„Ÿåˆ°ç—›å¿ƒï¼Œè¿™äº›å£°ç§°æ˜¯å·¥äººå…šæ”¯æŒè€…çš„äººä¸åº”è¯¥å†è¿™ä¹ˆåšï¼Œæˆ‘ä¸ºä»–ä»¬åœ¨ç½‘ä¸Šåšå‡ºè¿™æ ·çš„äº‹æƒ…æ„Ÿåˆ°ç¾žæ„§ã€‚â€



**** Singapore Wants Creativity Not Cramming ****
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17891211>
Rebecca Lim, BBC


> It means that schools are under more pressure - and will be given more leeway - to come up with creative ways to teach the syllabus.



**** Battle For Undecided Voters In Hougang ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120523-0000009/Battle-for-undecided-voters-in-Hougang>
Eugene K B Tan, Today



**** Self-help Groups Still Very Important: PM Lee ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120523-0000078/Self-help-groups-still-very-important--PM-Lee>
Sharon See, Today


> As the government seeks to look after the less fortunate and "leave no one behind", self-help groups will continue to play very important roles in assisting families and improving social mobility, said prime minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Also: <a href="http://www.zaobao.com.sg/yl/sl120523_001.shtml">华助会角色越来越重要</a> (联合早报)


**** WP Candidate Png Eng Huat Shares Plans For Hougang ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120523-0000079/WP-candidate-Png-Eng-Huat-shares-plans-for-Hougang>
Tan Weizhen, Today


> At the PAP rally on Sunday, Moulmein-Kallang GRC MP Denise Phua said, among other things, that PAP MPs like herself were better at checking the Government.

> In response, Ms Lim said: "Let me ask Denise one thing: If she receives an instruction from the PAP leaders to keep quiet, is she not going to shut up?"

Also: <a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_802003.html">Town council post for Png if he wins</a> (Straits Times)


**** Union Explains SMRT's New Pay Framework ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120523-0000062/Union-explains-SMRTs-new-pay-framework>
Today


> Mr Choo reiterated that although the bus drivers now have to work six days a week, the number of working hours each day has been reduced from 8.8 to 7.3 hours.

I can't speak for the bus drivers; neither can I claim I know exactly what is involved in driving a bus. But, personally, I would rather work 8.8 x 5 hours per week than 7.3 x 6 hours per week.
This is a bad deal for the workers. The union should be ashamed of itself.


**** Hawker And Market Rents Fall After Changes In Tender Process ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120523-0000048/Hawker-and-market-rents-fall-after-changes-in-tender-process>
Today


> Rents for hawker and market stalls trended down in the latest tender exercises, following new allocation policies announced in March that did away with reserve rents.

> The NEA also said yesterday that stalls that receive only single bids would be re-tendered in a second exercise. If the stall receives a single bid again in the second tender, it will be awarded to the single bidder.

Doesn't this show that the reserve price was over-estimated?
Also, can NEA simply changed the rule of the game <i>after</i> the single bids were received? This does not seem fair at all.


**** They Attended In Support, Despite The Lack Of Goodie Bags And Free Transport ****
<http://rachelzeng.wordpress.com/2012/05/23/they-attended-in-support-despite-the-lack-of-goodie-bags-and-free-transport/>
Rachel Zeng's Blog



**** Some Spring Cleaning Required ****
<http://singaporedesk.blogspot.com/2012/05/some-spring-cleaning-required.html>
Singapore Notes


> Khaw Boon Wan had better watch his words when saying things like "a party that had members being sacked" would find it difficult to run a country. Just think about it: if Wong Kan Seng, Raymond Lim or Mah Bow Tan had resigned of their own accord, would Khaw's party have suffered the bruising blow at GE 2011? Moral of the story, clean up your own act, or the people will do it for you.

All the more reason to have a smaller, leaner government.


**** Changi Airport Cargo Volumes Continue To Dive ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120522-0000169/Changi-Airport-cargo-volumes-continue-to-dive>
Today


> Changi Airport, the second-biggest airport in Asia, reported a steeper decline in cargo volumes and slower passenger traffic growth amid an uncertain global economy.



**** NCMPgate: A Question Of Dubious Relevance ****
<http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/05/ncmpgate-a-question-of-dubious-relevance/>
Choo Zheng Xi, The Online Citizen


> Doubtless the question of ability played some part in the selection, but it would be a stretch to imply, as deputy prime minister Teo Chee Hean recently did, that the WP CEC’s NCMP selection process was a referendum on the WP candidates’ abilities.

There were so many ways to rebuke the PAP; on hindsight, this is not the wrong way.


**** The Marxist Conspiracy Ghost (Busted?) ****
<http://chemgen.wordpress.com/2012/05/22/the-marxist-conspiracy-ghost-busted/>
Chemical Generation Singaore



**** Low Thia Khiang On NCMP Ballot Incident ****
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1202957/1/.html>
Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia


> Producing the NCMP ballot paper on stage, Mr Low said all the names of the East Coast GRC team members were considered for the post.

> "This is the ballot which I prepared, with all the names of the team on the ballot paper. Png Eng Huat had told me before and after the General Election that he was strongly against the NCMP scheme and had not wanted to be considered for the NCMP position, just as Eric Tan had told me of his desire to be NCMP. However I still listed the names of the whole East Coast GRC team, because they were all part of the team."

What was not revealed by Mr Low was how many CEC members were aware that Mr Png was not interested in the NCMP post.
Also: <a href="http://www.publichouse.sg/categories/topstory/item/608-a-calculated-move-to-discredit-wp-png-low-tk">A calculated move to discredit WP & Png: Low TK</a> (Andrew Loh, Publchouse.sg)


**** MRT Breakdown COI: Day Of Unanswered Questions ****
<http://www.straitstimes.com/The-Big-Story/The-Big-Story-3/Story/STIStory_801665.html>
Christopher Tan, Straits Times


> Confusion reigned at the Committee of Inquiry on Tuesday, as the 111th witness, SMRT deputy director of rolling stock and tracks Ng Wai Yi, raised discrepancies in the evidence gathered so far by the inquiry.

But what is clear is that the senior executives at SMRT are not prepared for abnormal situations at all.
Also: <a href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1202951/1/.html">More evidence indicating defective train contributed to 2nd disruption: COI</a> (Hetty Musfirah, Channel NewsAsia): The train that had spotted the sagged third rail in the first major disruption in December 2011 could have been the defective train that contributed to the second incident just two days later.


**** Separate COE Allocation For Individuals And Companies ****
<http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120522-0000160/Separate-COE-allocation-for-individuals-and-companies>
Robert Oei, Today


> The replenishment of taxis will also continue to eat into the COE quota. How can the average individual afford to compete against these businesses? Only the rich could.

> Truly, it is hard to find a solution to the problem of congestion. Perhaps, the most reasonable way is to pay according to a car's road usage.

Are there any evidence that taxi companies bid significantly higher than non-taxi bidders? Honestly, given the tight supply of COEs, I don't see how this will lower the total cost of private vehicle ownership.